


All I Want For Christmas

by robindrake93



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Annabeth Chase Is Her Own Warning, Boys Kissing, Caretaking, Cheating, Cheating Percy Jackson, Explicit Sexual Content, Feral Luke Castellan, Future Fic, M/M, One Shot, POV Third Person, Resurrected Luke Castellan, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:41:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robindrake93/pseuds/robindrake93
Summary: Hermes sends Percy on an errand that changes Percy's life forever and for the better.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan/Percy Jackson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 118





	All I Want For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the idea that Luke was a feral child due to neglect and homelessness coupled with the fight club thing Camp Half-Blood has going on...as well the thought that he went to the fields of punishment instead of someplace less shitty. Please excuse that terrible title. I had no idea what to call this fic. 
> 
> If you don't like the font color, click "Hide Creator's Style" at the top and it'll revert to black.
> 
> Don't reupload/repost my works.

Percy Jackson was tired of doing homework. College was exactly the nightmare that Percy had suspected it would be. He never wanted to go to college. But Annabeth had given him an ultimatum; it was college or her. Of course she didn’t say it in so many words but Percy could take a hint after she kept going on about how embarrassing her _stupid, uneducated boyfriend_ would be. 

Percy wanted to be a house husband. He wanted to stay home barefoot and take care of the kids and, most importantly, teach them how to surf. That was the only good thing about California; the surfing was awesome. But they didn’t have any kids. It looked like they wouldn’t for a long time because Annabeth was worried about her career and her figure. She didn’t have time to be a mother. She was too busy following her dreams. Percy’s dreams could wait. 

Percy stared at the wall of their apartment. A color-coded calendar was tacked to the wall, full of Annabeth’s loopy handwriting reminding them about due dates and college events and divine holidays. Looking at it, at how all of their days were filled up doing things Percy didn’t want to do, filled him with restlessness. He shifted his gaze to the window. 

California wasn’t always sunny but lately there has been nothing but sun. Constant sunshine and heat. The heat was oppressive and made his skin tighten like leather. Percy longed for rain. He missed the snow. It was almost December for fucks sake. There should be clouds and snow. 

Speaking of snow...the voice on the radio predicted massive snowfall this winter. There was a host of bad storms going to hit the Pacific Northwest, stretching as far as Colorado but not as far as California. Typical. The radio shut off abruptly, snapping Percy from his thoughts. 

Percy twisted around to see Annabeth standing, her finger still on the off button for the radio. She was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt that sported the college logo. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. “What did I tell you about distractions? You need to get that essay written if you want to get your grade up before the semester is over.” Annabeth made her way to him and turned Percy’s head so that he was once again looking at the essay. “No boyfriend of mine is going to be a B student.” 

If Percy didn’t know for a fact that Annabeth had seen every single report card of Percy’s, he would have thought that her statement was just misinformation. It wasn’t. Annabeth knew that Percy never made higher than a B. Even getting his GED, Percy barely scraped by. School was not for him and this was abundantly clear to everyone except for Annabeth. “Noise helps me concentrate,” he said. Percy turned his head to look at her. 

Annabeth turned his face back to the paper. “You obviously weren’t concentrating on that essay.” She kissed the top of his head and moved away from him. “Did you make dinner?” 

“It just needs to be warmed up,” Percy said. “Everything’s ready. Don’t touch it!” Annabeth couldn’t boil water without burning it. Every time she went near the food, it always ended up inedible. 

“It’ll be fine. I’ll warm it up and you work on that essay,” Annabeth called from the kitchen. There was noise as she moved things around. 

Percy bit his lip. He really didn’t want his hard work to go to waste. But there would be no talking Annabeth out of it. She always got her way. At least he’d had a big sandwich for lunch so he wouldn’t go hungry. Percy turned back to his essay and scowled. There was so much work that went into being a marine biologist. They wanted him to know so much. As if Percy would need to know about aquarium filters. As if Percy would ever willingly step foot in another aquarium. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl with slimy, unclean horror. 

He tried to work on the essay. He really did. But he only wrote down two sentences in the time it took for Annabeth to burn their dinner. With a sigh, Percy pushed away from the desk. He went into the kitchen and stared bleakly at the spaghetti meal he’d prepared. The noodles were mush. The sauce looked like a fungus. The vegetables were burnt and withered. The French bread was dehydrated because Annabeth cut it too soon and left it sitting on the counter. 

Annabeth set the table and sat down. She didn’t say anything about the meal. If she had problems eating her own cooking, Annabeth never voiced them. 

Percy got a coke from the fridge and joined her. He scooped only the tiniest bit of food onto his plate. It looked like one of those plates from fancy restaurants where the food was minuscule and arranged artistically. Between bites, Percy took long drinks of coke to wash out the flavors. 

Annabeth talked about her day, which mostly meant she complained about how stupid everyone else was. Her professors were stupid. Her classmates were stupid. The textbooks were stupid. “If I wasn’t going to be an architect, you know, in the mortal world, then I’d write the textbooks and then teach them. I just can’t believe how stupid these people are. Where are they getting their information?” 

Percy agreed with everything she said and forced down the rest of his dinner. He finished before Annabeth and leaned back, sipping his coke. The soda would help fill his belly. He tried to decide if Annabeth was in a good mood or not. If she was, he might be able to convince her to go back to New York for winter break. During a pause in the conversation, Percy broached the subject, “My mom called today. She wants to know if we’re going back East for Christmas.” 

Annabeth’s gray eyes hardened. She narrowed them. According to mutual friends, Annabeth’s glare had nothing on Percy’s Wolf Stare but it always made Percy deeply uncomfortable. “I already said we aren’t,” Annabeth said. 

“I want to visit my family.” They didn’t visit during fall break, which made sense because that was only a week long. Winter break was two weeks. 

“We just saw them in the summer,” Annabeth said. 

Summer was six months ago. Percy hadn’t seen his mom or step dad or baby sister in six months. Estelle was probably getting so big. When Sally called and updated him, Percy felt like he was missing all of Estelle’s milestones. Did she even remember him? This was the longest that Percy had been away from his family since Hera kidnapped him. “I miss my family. I want to see them.” 

Annabeth pursed her lips. Percy didn’t normally argue with her but he was putting his foot down now. “We don’t even have time. There are things to do over break and since you can’t fly, it’ll be a couple of days of nonstop driving. It’s not like we can take our time. Plus we don’t have gas money.” 

Percy tried to listen to her arguments but he felt himself drifting away. Inside of himself, he felt like a bird trapped in a cage and wildly flapping its wings. “I don’t have anything to do over break. I could go alone.” It wasn’t like Annabeth wanted to see her family so her presence was preferred but not required. 

Suspicion immediately sharpened Annabeth’s gaze. “No. It’s too dangerous to travel alone.” It was safer traveling alone because the two of them attracted twice the monsters. “Besides, you need to do extra credit work over break if you’re going to get your grades where they need to be.” 

Percy opened his mouth to say what he’s been thinking since September - 

“I can’t believe you two eat like this.” 

Percy didn’t scream but he did make a high noise of surprise. 

Annabeth threw her fork without thinking. There was still spaghetti on the end of it. Her eyes went wide. “L-lord Hermes?” 

Hermes vanished the fork into the ether. Like an asshole. It wasn’t like forks grew on trees. He sat in one of the empty chairs at the table, wearing a t-shirt with a tortoise on it and a pair of very short jean shorts that showed off his athletic thighs. 

Seeing Hermes immediately flooded Percy with relief. Whatever the god wanted would be better than fighting with Annabeth. “Hey, man. Why are you here?” Percy held out his hand for a high five. 

Hermes slapped his palm. It stung. “I need you,” he pointed to Percy. “To run an errand for me.” Hermes’ expression was completely neutral but his eyes were hard...and shifty. He was up to something and he didn’t want Annabeth to know about it. 

Annabeth looked like she’d been sucking on a lemon. “He isn’t going on any quests. Find someone else.” 

The look that Hermes gave Annabeth was like she was a cockroach crawling across the floor. “This doesn’t concern you, girl.” He still refused to call Annabeth by her name. Did he really blame Annabeth for not running away with Luke? More than he blamed Percy for failing to convince Luke to come back to Camp with them right after he ran away? 

Percy flashed Annabeth an apologetic look as he stood up and took Hermes by the arm. The god was ripped, his muscles bulging beneath Percy’s palm but he tried not to notice too much. “I’ll find out what he wants. Thanks for dinner, babe.” Then Percy tugged Hermes through the apartment and to the balcony. Once the door was shut behind them, Percy turned to Hermes and asked, “What do you want me to do?” 

Hermes didn’t answer right away. He slowly looked Percy up and down. His gaze lingered on Percy’s face for a long time, staring into his eyes. Hermes had blue eyes the deep blue color of glacial waters. Luke had inherited those eyes and looking at Hermes never failed to make Percy think of his old friend. “I need you to take a trip and follow a recipe for me.” 

Percy cocked his head, confused. “Like for cooking?” 

“Something like that,” Hermes said vaguely. His casual tone was belied by the intense look in his eyes. “You must follow the recipe exactly, Percy. There can be no mistakes.” 

“I haven’t said I’ll do it,” Percy reminded him gently. It was only because the way Hermes was looking at him made the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise. Whatever this task was, it was a lot more serious than Hermes would say outright. Despite his protest, all it took from Hermes was a raised eyebrow and Percy gave a sigh of defeat. The truth was that he needed a break; from college, from Annabeth, from hot weather. 

Hermes placed his hands on Percy’s shoulders. “This is very important, Percy.” 

“I’ll do it.” Percy put one hand over Hermes’. His skin was warm. “You know I will. Have I ever failed you?” That was a stupid question because of course Percy failed Hermes. He failed to bring Luke back. 

But Hermes only smiled. “No. You’re a remarkable demigod, Percy. Very adaptable, very quick witted. And you have a heart of gold.” 

The unexpected praise made heat rise to Percy’s face. He hoped that Hermes wasn’t flirting with him. He got enough of that from Apollo. “Um, thank you.” He cleared his throat. “So what’s the quest?” 

“I’m going to send you to my house in Colorado. All of the ingredients are there.” Hermes paused, snapped his fingers. “Except for one thing.” He presented Percy with a small wooden box. It was made of birch wood and fit in the palm of Percy’s hand. 

Percy was immediately wary of any type of box being handed to him. “This isn’t like Pandora’s jar, is it?” he asked. If it was, he was going to kill Hermes. 

A small smile graced Hermes’ lips. “No, Percy. It isn’t like Pandora’s jar. You can open it, if you want, and nothing bad will happen. Just don’t lose any of its contents.” 

That was less reassuring than Hermes probably meant it if only because Percy was now terrified of losing its contents. Still, his curiosity could not be ignored. Percy opened the little wooden box. He almost dropped it in shock. Teeth were inside of the box. Tiny little teeth. Some were cracked or chipped and some still had dried blood on them from when they fell out. There were about twenty in total. Percy looked up at Hermes. “What are these?” 

“Milk teeth,” Hermes supplied. He had a peculiar look on his face. There was an emotion there that Percy couldn’t quite read but he knew that these teeth were important. 

Percy carefully closed the box. “What are the teeth for?” 

“The recipe is at the house, along with all of your ingredients.” Hermes’ gaze slid from Percy’s face to something behind him, then back again in a second. “It will be simple, Percy. I wrote it all very clearly.” He said nothing about the teeth. 

Percy frowned slightly. He hated it when people sidestepped his questions. But he really didn’t want Hermes to change his mind. Percy _needed_ to get out of here. If only for an afternoon. “Okay. Well, how am I getting to your house?” 

Hermes’ smile was so smug and mischievous that Percy felt dread over it. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll send you there.” He snapped his fingers. 

Suddenly Percy was freezing. He stood in the snow in front of a two-story house. The house had a large front porch with several rocking chairs on it. There were two doors. One nearby and one set about twenty feet away from the first one. Percy blinked. He shivered and looked around. There were little pine trees everywhere, the kind that grew short and bushy. 

Percy started toward the house. He chose the door closest to him. It led into a mudroom, full of boots and coats and assorted odds and ends. The floor was concrete. Stairs twisted down to a wooden door, which led to the basement. Percy ignored that and went in through a door on his level that led into the house. All of the lights were off but the house was warm enough. 

Percy had to walk through the little kitchen to find a light switch on the living room wall. He flipped the lights on and the whole floor lit up. The kitchen and living room were all one room, divided only by the carpet in the living room and the wood in the kitchen. 

His attention was drawn to the table. A bone bowl sat upon the table, the size of which could be described as a very large mixing bowl. It was the creamy white of fresh bone, yet something about it made Percy think that it was very, very _old._ The edges were sanded to a smooth finish and it looked in good condition. The presence of the bowl made the hairs on the back of Percy’s neck rise in warning. Percy did not touch it. 

Beside the bowl was a piece of parchment paper with Hermes’ neat block handwriting on it. This, Percy had no qualms about touching. He picked it up and held it closer to his face as he made out the words. It was the recipe that Hermes had spoken of. The list of ingredients was bizarre. 

\- Gold 

\- Blood 

\- Salt 

\- Phoenix tears (blue fire) 

\- Clay 

\- Milk teeth 

\- Hair 

\- Pomegranate seeds 

\- Ladon’s poison 

\- Ash 

Percy read over the ingredients list wice, his frown deepening. In one hand he still clutched the birch wood box full of teeth. “Well,” he said aloud. “I’ve got the milk teeth.” Hermes had said that everything Percy needed was in the house and upon further inspection, Percy noticed a basket of birch bark upon the table as well. It was full of glass vials that were all stoppered up and carefully labeled. 

“Step one: mix ash, clay, and salt into the bone bowl. Okay.” Percy gathered his ingredients and double checked the labels. The ash was the most prominent ingredient, a whole one-hundred-ten ounces. It took careful work to pull the cork free without spilling the ash but he did it. Percy hesitated before pouring the ash into the bone bowl. He would have to touch the bone and he didn’t particularly want to. But he promised Hermes that he would. Percy drew the bowl closer and poured the ash inside. 

It was not a fine ash; there were large chunks of something pale and hard within it and it seemed gritty. When it settled at the bottom of the bone bowl and nothing happened, Percy continued. The clay was more difficult. It was labeled as clay and the instructions called it clay, yet it was a powdery substance. Did Hermes get it wrong? Percy debated with himself for a few moments, then added the clay. It was dyed a deep russet red that stained the glass tube it had been kept in. Next was an easy two-hundred grams of salt. As far as Percy could tell, it was regular salt. 

So far so good. Percy consulted the instructions. “Add the gold, hair, and milk teeth to the bone bowl. Mix well with your hands. Oh, jeez, with my hands? Really?” The gold turned out to be the flakey kind that rich people were eating as of late. There wasn’t much of it, maybe two ounces. Percy had to tap on the sides of the glass to get it all to fall into the mixture. The hair was pure white and appeared to have been cut from someone’s head. It fell easily into the mix. Percy opened the little birch wood box that contained the milk teeth; baby teeth. Whose teeth were they? Whose hair was that? 

He dumped the tiny teeth into the bowl and took a deep breath to steel himself before reaching a hand into the mixture. There was some relief that the texture was like moving around really gritty sand. The instructions only said to _mix well_ so Percy mixed it until all of the little gold flakes were covered in gray and red ashy material. He shook his hand over the mixture, trying to clean it while keeping as much in the bowl as possible. It did not clean very well; bits of salt and ash and red clay still clung to his skin. 

“Fill a bowl with snow and melt it to wash your hands. When finished, pour contents into the mammoth skull bowl,” Percy read aloud. He narrowed his eyes. “Hermes, you asshole, you could have put that at the top of the page.” He found a mixing bowl and trudged outside to scoop up some snow. Then he went back inside and turned the stove on to melt it. Instead of placing the wooden bowl directly onto the burner, Percy found a sauce pan and filled that with tap water, then placed the wooden snow-filled bowl on top of that. The snow melted faster than Percy was expecting but not fast enough for his liking. He hurriedly washed his hand in the snowmelt and brought it to the table. 

“Do not touch the following with your bare hands: the phoenix tear, Ladon’s poison, and the pomegranate seeds. Pour them into the mammoth skull bowl. Do not mix.” Percy uncorked the phoenix tear and stared at the little blue self-contained flame. It was about the size of a quarter and didn’t look like much, but Percy carefully tipped it into the bowl. Ladon’s poison was black and tar-like. It smelled like rotten meat and acid. The smell got somewhat better after it was tipped into the bowl, which Percy was grateful for. In the smallest glass container were twelve pomegranate seeds. They went into the bowl easily. 

“At the bottom of the basket is a measuring cup, a vial of nectar, and a knife made from celestial bronze that you will recognize.” Percy paused to check the bottom of the basket. Those things were all there. He hasn’t seen Annabeth’s dagger since before his fall into Tartarus. Looking at the familiar weapon made Percy even more unsettled than he cared to admit. He turned his attention back to the instructions. “Cut your wrist and measure out sixteen ounces of blood into the measuring cup. When finished, pour into the mammoth skull bowl. Wash the cup in the snow melt and pour all contents into the mammoth skull bowl.” 

Percy stared at the last few sentences, rereading them. “Excuse me?” Hermes wanted him to use his own blood for...something. Percy still wasn’t sure what it was he was doing. He turned the parchment over but there was no writing on the back. The last few sentences only instructed him to leave the bowl to sit and not to touch it. Percy shook his head. The last time he’d bled for a super power, it had been for Gaea and that little bit of blood allowed her to take physical form. This was sixteen ounces. 

Percy pressed his wrist over his eyes and groaned, trying to decide what to do. As far as he knew, there was no way out of here. He didn’t notice a garage or a car and this was obviously an isolated area in the mountains. Who knew how far a town was. Plus it was snowing. Did he really have a choice? Would Hermes leave Percy here in this house until the agreed upon task was complete? “Damn it,” he hissed. Percy hated being backed into a corner but he didn’t see a way out of this. 

He picked up the knife. It gleamed like new, no hint of a rust stain from the blood that had stained the metal. Percy took out the glass measuring cup and found the mark that said sixteen ounces. He learned that sixteen ounces was also two cups or one pint. It looked like a lot. Two whole cups of his blood. Percy chose his left wrist because if something went wrong for whatever reason, he wanted his dominant hand to be alright. He took a deep breath that echoed the sound of the howling wind outside. Then he cut open his wrist. 

The cut was deep. It had to be to get that much blood out of his body. Percy knew that he’d cut an artery because that’s what he’d been aiming for. The blood dripped into the measuring cup, filling it faster than Percy would have thought. He didn’t like watching himself bleed but there was no other choice; he had to get the measurement correct or this would be worthless. The distastefulness of slicing his own wrist open for arterial blood was tempered somewhat by the vial of nectar within easy reach. Percy would be fine. He doubted that he would even have a scar, though it was of course a possibility. 

His blood flowed faster than he thought it would. Percy grabbed the vial of nectar and yanked the cork out with his teeth. He downed the nectar just as his blood reached the sixteen ounces mark. The cut healed immediately, veins and skin stitching back together. There was a faint, shiny scar as though he’d had the wound for years rather than minutes, but otherwise he was good as new. Maybe a little faint. 

Percy picked up the measuring cup. The glass was hot. He stared at his blood contained within it. “Please, be for something good,” he prayed. Then he poured it into the bowl. He rinsed the measuring cup in the snow melt and his wrist too, then dumped that whole mess into the mammoth skull bowl. By now the bowl was rather full and smelled primordial. Not that Percy was keen on primordial scents but he was sure that this was that. It had the smell of something ancient, something ritualistic that a buried piece of his hindbrain recognized. 

Percy was suddenly starving. He put the wooden bowl and measuring cup in the sink, then went to the fridge. There was meat on a plate. Percy didn’t think to care about whether or not it was cooked when he reached for it and ate it. This, too, tasted primordial. Yet it was suiting, he supposed, since the bowl was actually a mammoth skull. While the animal had obviously died thousands of years ago, it had probably done so in its youth. Percy was sure that mammoths were generally bigger than that. After the meat was eaten, Percy washed his hands. 

His jaws split in a yawn. Percy did a quick tour of the ground level, saw that there was a bathroom, but was far more interested in the stairs going to the second floor. He turned the lights off before tackling the stairs. They were steeper than he liked and there was no hand railing but Percy climbed up them and found himself in an enormous bedroom the length of the whole house. He flicked on the lights real quick to make sure that no one was hiding out upstairs. Percy was alone. Still somewhat blind from the brief flash of bright light, Percy shuffled toward the large bed he’d seen. It looked like a king sized bed, the biggest bed that Percy would ever sleep in. 

Percy crawled into the bed without hesitation. He settled back on the mattress; it was the exact softness that he liked. He put one pillow between his knees and another one pressed against his back. Then he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
  
  


_CRA-ACK!_

Percy sat bolt upright in bed. He reached for Riptide, uncapped the sword, before he even tried to place what the sound was. Something broke, obviously, but what was it? It sounded...somehow familiar. Percy jumped out of bed and winced at how loud his feet sounded even with the carpet beneath them. Moving quieter, Percy made his way to the stairs. He eased down the steep steps and into the living room below. 

There was something on the table. 

Even Percy’s enhanced night vision was next to useless in this kind of complete darkness. The moon wasn’t full enough to do more than vaguely outline the shape of the thing on the table. Percy saw shoulder blades and spine as the creature stretched. It’s growl turned into a snarl at the end. He heard the distinct sound of teeth clacking together. 

What was that? A mountain lion? They had those in Colorado right? How did it get in? Where was the light switch? If he could turn the lights on them maybe that would scare it….and buy Percy precious seconds before it attacked. For a mind numbing moment he forgot where the light switches were in this house. By the stairs! He’d flipped the lights off as he was going up to bed. Percy quietly moved toward the switches. He flipped them all on at the same time. 

Light flooded the kitchen and living room. The creature on the table snarled in pain. 

Percy stood frozen in shock. He was pretty sure that he was staring at a human for all that it - _he_ \- didn’t sound like one. 

The man sat on the kitchen table between two halves of the cracked bone bowl. He was covered in ash and slick, wet blood. Percy’s first impression of a big cat wasn’t entirely incorrect in that the man was muscular and lean like a big cat. Beneath the ash and blood, his skin looked like that shade of golden tan that white people's skin took on when they spent long days in the sun. His hair was too wet and bloody to determine a color. But his eyes. 

Percy was caught on those eyes. 

They were the deep blue of glacial waters. There was not an ounce of humanity in them, not a spark of recognition. Those were the wild animal eyes of someone who had long since gone feral. 

Percy’s voice was caught in his throat. He couldn’t push words out of mouth. And he needed to speak. Percy needed to make that connection before something bad happened. 

Even after the man’s eyes adjusted to the light, his pupils stayed constructed into pinpricks. His eyes darted around the room and then landed on Percy. He stared at Percy and slowly his lips drew back in a silent snarl. The message was clear enough: _stay away._

Percy’s mouth was dry. His heart hammered in his chest. He had to talk. He had to say something. Why oh why was this happening now? Percy’s mouth moved but no sound came out. 

The man’s gaze sharpened. He shifted. 

Percy flinched. 

They both froze. 

_This is stupid,_ Percy thought. He let the saliva pool in his mouth, swallowed, then forced the word out, “Luke?” 

The expression on the man’s face flickered with some recognition before settling on confusion. It seemed that he was trying to pull a memory from somewhere deep, deep down. Slowly, recognition crept into his features. Real recognition. He moistened his lips, swallowed, then said, “Percy?” 

Percy nodded. “Hi.” Luke looked thirsty. He should get Luke some water but he was still afraid to move. Because Luke Castellan was sitting naked on the kitchen table and the noises he’d made didn’t sound human. Or demigod. And he and Luke hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms. In fact, they’d spent the better part of five years as enemies and Luke was dead and what was going on? Percy knew that blood magic was powerful but this… Was this what Hermes had wanted all along? “I’m going to get you a glass of water.” 

Luke stared uncomprehendingly for a moment before slowly nodding. 

Percy took three long steps toward Luke and the kitchen. He didn’t take his eyes off the man, watching for attack. Then he slid with his back to the cupboards, still keeping Luke in his sights as he moved past a small counter and the fridge. There were more cupboards mounted to the walls and Percy went to them, still keeping an eye on Luke. He guessed which one held the glasses and was pleased to have guessed right. He took two glasses out and filled them with tap water. It was probably drinkable...he wasn’t going to risk turning his back to Luke to check the fridge. 

Percy brought the glasses over to the island counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. On the other side of the island was the table and Luke. He set a glass on the edge of the island so that Luke wouldn’t have to reach too far to get it. Then he put his glass to his lips and drank, still watching Luke. 

Luke moved like he didn’t know how his limbs worked. He trembled when he reached for the glass. His fingertips bumped it before he managed to curl his fingers around it. Luke drew the glass to him, focusing hard on holding it. There was a very real chance that he would drop it. As he drank, some of the water sloshed down his chest. It left clean streaks against his skin. Luke didn’t stop drinking until the water was completely gone. Then he set the glass down. 

Percy knew that it was rude to stare but he couldn’t help it. He was pretty sure that Hermes had tricked him into bringing Luke back to life. Why hadn’t he just told Percy that this was what he wanted Percy to do? A tiny bit of shame burned in Percy as he wondered if he would have agreed so easily had Hermes given him more details. “Um...do you want to take a shower or something? You’re kind of…” Percy made a hand gesture. 

Luke looked down at himself as though realizing for the first time that he had a body. He blinked. “Is...is there a lake or river around here?” he asked. His voice sounded better now that he was hydrated. 

Percy threw out his senses, searching for bodies of water nearby. There were none close enough to walk to. And it was snowing. He shook his head. “There’s a bathroom with a bath, though.” 

Luke didn’t look happy but he gave a resigned sigh. He moved slowly as he shifted to get off of the table. As strong as those muscles said he was, Luke didn’t look like he would even be able to stand on his own. Percy’s suspicion was right when Luke’s legs immediately gave out. 

Percy hurried over to him, barely pausing before drawing Luke’s arm over his shoulder and drawing him up. He helped Luke to his feet, took most of his weight. 

Luke put one hand on the island to steady himself. He took one shaky step after another. It took a long time to get the ten feet to the bathroom but they did get there in the end. This close, all Percy could smell was the ash and blood that clung to Luke’s skin. Maybe a good shower would bring Luke’s normal scent back. Percy could only hope. 

The bathroom was beyond a door just past the fridge. It wasn’t a big bathroom; a shower/bath, a sink with a cupboard underneath, and a toilet. But like everything else in this house, it was clean and looked modern. Percy flipped on the light switch and the overhead light filled the room with a yellow tinted glow. 

Percy helped Luke into the bath and turned the water on. The water immediately began to wash away the blood and ash on Luke’s feet, making a swirling gray and red mess down the drain. Percy hoped that it wouldn’t clog up the pipes. He wasn’t sure he could fix that. Percy ran his wrist under the water, testing the temperature, then turned the shower head on. 

Luke flinched when the water rained down on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and held himself. The filth ran in rivers from his skin and hair. His hair was the sandy blond it had been before he held the sky; before it turned white. Luke shivered beneath the water. His face was screwed up in displeasure. 

Percy frowned. Was the water too cold? He felt it again but no, it was warm to the touch. Actually, it was borderline hot. He could see steam rising. Maybe Luke was just…getting used to being alive again? Would it be rude to ask? Percy made sure that the water stayed in the tub despite the shower curtain being open. He knelt on the rug beside the tub. “Hey, Luke?” 

No response. 

Percy decided to press on anyway. “Are you okay?” 

It was like Luke hadn’t heard him. Aside from that full body tremble, he didn’t move. His eyes and mouth were tightly closed. Some of the more stubborn clumps of ash and blood still clung to Luke’s skin. 

Percy focused the water so that it worked a little harder at getting Luke clean. There were bottles of shampoo and conditioner and body wash but Percy wasn’t about to wash the man himself and Luke didn’t seem to be capable at the moment. This would have to do. Once Luke was spotless, Percy turned the water off. He hesitated before reaching out and pressing his fingertips to Luke’s bicep and willing him dry. 

The water ran off of Luke and down the drain. Luke blinked, looking a little surprised. Hi shivering continued. 

“Come on. Get up unless you want to spend the whole night in here.” Percy was strong but he wouldn’t be able to lift Luke without Luke’s help. 

Luke rose to his feet. He was unsteady, swaying slightly. 

Percy wrapped a towel around Luke’s waist. That would do until he found something for Luke to wear. Suddenly he wished that he’d taken more time to explore the house. He slid an arm around Luke’s waist and as he did so, Percy realized that he was three or four inches taller than Luke. 

They got to the kitchen before Luke just slumped to the floor beside the island counter. 

Percy was so surprised that he didn’t think to hold Luke up. He stared for a moment, confused, and was about to ask what was wrong. Then he heard the rolling growl of Luke’s stomach. He was hungry. Okay, well, that seemed to make sense. He’d been thirsty too. “Um, just sit there and I’ll make you something.” 

Luke slid down and curled up on his side. He closed his eyes. 

“Okay,” Percy muttered. Something simple would be best. Probably something with protein and calcium. Percy grabbed a carton of eggs, a bag of shredded cheese, and a stick of butter from the fridge. He returned to the fridge and looked for vegetables. There were green bell peppers in the vegetable drawer. Percy took one. He glanced at Luke, noted that he hadn’t moved at all, and opened the cupboard beside the fridge. It seemed like food would go on one side of the kitchen and dishes on the other. 

Percy was right. There was an entire spice rack in the cupboard, along with what looked like jars full of baking ingredients. Percy went through the spices. He picked out salt, pepper, sage, basil, thyme, and chives. He wished that there were onions here… Sally Jackson kept them in a bowl beneath the sink but when Percy looked, there were no onions. Well, Luke could live without onions. 

Percy cut a slab of butter to put in the frying pan and set the pan on a stove burner to warm. None of the herbs were fresh like Percy wanted but dried would be alright. He mixed them in a small bowl, then set that aside and took out three eggs to mix into a bigger bowl. Percy cracked the eggs on the side of the bowl and whisked them together. He mixed in the herbs. 

Another glance at Luke. No change. His ribcage rose and fell as he breathed. 

Percy lifted the pan off the heat and moved the melted butter around. When it coated the entire bottom of the pan, Percy set it back down and poured the egg mixture into it. He let it cook and quickly chopped up the bell pepper. The whole pepper wouldn’t be used right now because Percy wasn’t making enough eggs for the whole thing, but he would still add a little for flavor. Even though Luke was as white as could be. It only took a few minutes for the eggs to cook, fluffy after whisking. Percy scraped them onto a small plate. 

There was orange juice in the fridge so while the eggs cooled on the counter, Percy got the carton and poured Luke a glass of orange juice. That should help too...even though Percy wasn’t sure what was actually wrong with Luke. Coming back to life couldn’t have been easy, though. He retrieved the eggs and fork from the counter and crouched before Luke. “Foods ready,” he said. 

After a moment, Luke pushed himself back into a sitting position. His shoulders trembled. When he sat against the island, Luke took the plate from Percy. He looked at the fork like he didn’t know what to do with it. For a second Percy thought that he was going to use his fingers. Then Luke picked up the fork and carefully stabbed a piece of egg. His first bite was tentative. Once he realized that Percy could cook, Luke shoveled it into his mouth. He finished his eggs in two minutes, then the empty plate slipped out of his fingers. Luke flinched but barely noticed, picking up the orange juice instead and gulping it down. 

Percy felt like he was watching a wild animal. He was reminded of a flashback he saw once, where Luke was only fourteen and the feral look in his eyes and the way he was scrawny with starvation. This Luke didn’t appear to be starving, but that didn’t diminish the feral look. 

Now Percy needed to decide what he was going to do with Luke. He expected Hermes to show up at any moment but so far there was no sign of him. Clothes. Luke would need clothes. “I’m gonna get you some clothes. I’ll be right back.” 

“Thank you,” Luke whispered. He sounded a little better. 

Percy almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. “Um, don’t thank me yet. I haven’t checked out the closet.” Then he hurried upstairs. This was so weird. So, so weird. He turned the light switch on and the bedroom was bathed in warm lighting. 

There were two long wooden dressers on either side of the bed, and Percy went to those first. He picked out underwear, socks, and soft flannel pajamas that were blue with a snowman print on them. They looked like they would fit...maybe a size smaller than what Percy himself would wear. He brought them down to Luke, was only mildly surprised to find Luke still sitting on the floor. 

Luke stared at his hands like he didn’t recognize them. He ran one up his thigh in a way that suggested he wasn’t sure that it was attached to him. 

Percy watched him for a moment, a growing sense of dread and pity within him. He put the clothes on the couch then went to collect Luke. “C’mon. Clothes are over there. You don’t want to sit on the floor all night, do you?” 

Together, they got Luke to the couch. It didn’t occur to Percy until Luke sat there doing absolutely nothing, that he would have to dress the man. It was too cold to leave him in just a towel. He hesitated, nervous about the prospect. But if could get Luke in the bath then he could get clothes onto him. Right? Right. 

Except. 

Except there was that thing he was avoiding thinking about. And Percy would have to confront it, at least in his own mind. There really wasn’t a way around it. He really, really didn’t want to. 

Percy steeled himself and grabbed the underwear. 

Luke was more helpful than he’d thought Luke would be, at least he lifted his feet and ass so that Percy could slide the fabric up into place. But that’s all he did. 

Percy got the pajama pants on him in the same way. His fingers brushed against that thing he wasn’t thinking about and a hot chill crept up his spine. Would Luke tell him about it if he asked? Was it rude to ask? Did Percy really want to know? Next the socks, while he was still kneeling on the floor. And it would distract him from...from what he wasn’t thinking about. If only for a minute more. 

Finally, Percy couldn’t put it off any longer. He picked up the shirt and carefully slid Luke’s arms through the holes. There were buttons on this shirt and as he went down the row to button them, Percy’s knuckles brushed against Luke’s skin. There was no way he could ignore it now. 

Five thick scars ran from Luke’s right shoulder to his left hip, and down to his thigh. They looked sort of like the Jurassic Park logo in thickness and the way the edges were ragged. It was bad. It looked painful. Percy hadn’t known they were there, but he’d never seen Luke with his shirt off before. This was probably the reason why. 

The feral look in Luke’s eyes had dimmed to mere wariness. Probably because his belly was full...or at least he was less hungry. He kept his eyes on Percy, watching every little movement. When Percy finished with the last button, Luke yawned. 

“Lie down, Luke,” Percy said. He was surprised when Luke listened without complaint. Percy took the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Luke. He made sure that Luke was tucked in warmly and then he took a step toward the stairs. “I’ll be upstairs.” 

Luke yawned again. 

Percy went upstairs and to bed. He got beneath the covers and laid in the dark with his eyes open. Now that he bought Luke back, Hermes was bound to come for them at any time. What repercussions would his actions bring? Did he just bring the wrath of the gods down on his head? Would Hermes protect him? What if Luke picked up exactly where he left off? 

No. There was no way that Luke could pick up where he left off. Kronos was scattered to the winds...and Luke didn’t seem strong enough. 

Percy lay in bed until the room began to lighten with the arrival of dawn. He didn’t really sleep, only dozed. His dreams were filled with monsters chasing him and Luke’s slick wet skin against his. Percy stared at the wooden beams in the sloped ceiling, wondering if Luke was still on the couch and if he was awake yet. Getting out of bed would make the floor creak and Percy didn’t want to risk Luke knowing that he’d checked up on him. Then again it would be better than Luke coming up the stairs. 

Percy stayed in bed for a while longer, thinking, nursing a headache. The air was cold and his head felt swollen. Last night he didn’t really notice it but this morning he felt the cold on his skin like it was ice on a river. His spot beneath the covers was warm enough that leaving wasn’t appealing. Percy looked to the open closet on the far side of the room. Maybe there was warmer stuff over there. There were too many reasons to get out of bed and so with great reluctance, Percy pushed back the covers and put his feet down on the carpeted floors. The floor immediately creaked beneath his feet, the sound loud in the silence of the house. 

Why was it so silent? Percy glanced out the window that lay above the headboard. It took him a moment before he realized that there was no wind. Ah, that was it. The snow had stopped. 

He walked to the closet, wincing with every loud footfall he made. Gods, why did Hermes house make this kind of racket? Wasn’t he supposed to be a subtle thief? Beside the closet with it’s back to the half wall by the stairs, was a small loveseat that did not match the couch downstairs but that looked very comfortable and well-worn. The closet held sweaters, jackets, coats, t-shirts, dress-shirts, and even a silky black dress. Percy pulled on a sweater at random. It fit. He chose a jacket. That also fit him perfectly. Now he needed socks and maybe a hat to keep his ears warm. The dresser would be best for that. He found thick black socks in the dresser and a blue beanie. Percy put both of them on. He noted that there were scarves and mittens as well. Good. 

Now that he was dressed, Percy couldn’t put off going downstairs any longer. He took a deep breath then started down. Before he even reached the bottom of the stairs, Percy saw that Luke was still on the couch. 

Luke was curled on his side exactly how Percy had left him. He could have been asleep except that he was slowly tapping his fingers against the couch cushion in front of his face. Pinky, ring, middle, index, thumb. Repeat. His blue eyes were wide, staring at his own hand as he moved his fingers in a silent count. One, two, three, four, five. 

“Hey, Luke,” Percy said softly as he took the final few steps. He worried about startling Luke. What if he was still confused and feral? 

Luke lifted his head. The pattern of the fabric was engraved on half his face like a mysterious map. His nostrils flared, taking in Percy’s scent. Then he laid his head back down on the couch. “Hi, Percy.” Luke’s voice was soft, quiet. 

Percy shuffled his feet. He glanced at the table, where the celestial bronze knife lay beside the cracked mammoth skull bowl. There was no mess, no sign that Percy had mixed together strange ingredients or that Luke had been covered in ash and blood. Why was Luke covered in ash and blood last night? Percy wondered what to do with the bowl and the knife. He didn’t have a sheath on him for the knife. Maybe he should hide it somewhere Luke probably wouldn’t find it. Somewhere upstairs. That mammoth skull bowl, though, what to do about that? Maybe he should put it in the corner of the living room, or in the mudroom; somewhere out of the way. He decided on the corner of the living room. “Has anyone been by today?” Percy asked Luke. 

Luke said, “uh-uh.” He drew the blanket up to his chin. His eyes followed Percy’s every movement. 

Percy frowned. Surely now that Luke was back and it was the light of day, Hermes would be coming to collect them? He glanced at Luke as he walked to the kitchen and peered out the window. The yard was covered in snow. Birds flitted about outside, searching for something to eat and trying to stay warm in the cold. Percy considered telling Luke that his dad was the one who arranged this, but he decided against it. The last time that Percy had brought up Hermes to Luke, it had started a fight. 

Percy retreated to the kitchen to make breakfast. He could only barely see the couch from here but the glimpses he got were enough to verify that Luke was still on it. For breakfast he would make something simple and filling; bacon, toast, and sunny side up eggs. Just a little something to tide them over until Hermes came to get them. Percy was confident that Hermes visited this house frequently because all of the food was still good. He hadn’t found a single expired thing yet. Percy cracked two eggs into a large frying pan and added several slices of bacon. He put toast in the dual toaster and adjusted it to how he liked it done. 

When he thought of how hungry Luke had been last night, Percy took some grapes from the fridge. He washed them and portioned out two handfuls. Today was a coffee day so Percy started the coffee pot. He glanced at the eggs. Time to get those on a plate. Percy used a spatula to transfer their eggs to a plate, careful not to break the yolk. He let the bacon cook a little longer. The toaster made him jump when it was done. Percy spread butter and then grape jelly onto the crisp toast. 

Percy watched the bacon, the coffee pot, and Luke. The bacon was done cooking first and Percy set it on their plates, doling it out in even amounts. While Percy took their plates to the table - it was strange how clean it was considering what had happened on it - the coffee finished brewing. 

Luke was now sitting up but he made no move to cross to the table. His expression was intense as he stared at the food. 

Percy found forks for the eggs and mugs for the coffee. He hesitated when it came to preparing Luke’s coffee for him. How did he like it? A glance at Luke did not encourage Percy to ask, and instead he just prepared it with cream and sugar the way he liked it. He brought everything to the table. “I made breakfast,” Percy said as he set the mugs down. 

Luke hesitated. He slowly slid his feet to the floor. It was rare for Percy to ever have seen apprehension on Luke’s face but now the man wore it clearly. It wasn’t until Luke slid off the couch onto the floor and began crawling that Percy realized he didn’t have the strength to walk even the short distance to the table. 

Percy averted his eyes as pity swept through him in a hot wave. His skin prickled with embarrassment as he stared down at his plate so that he could avoid looking directly at Luke. Should he offer to help? 

By now it felt too late and Luke had left the carpeted living room for the cool hardwood of the kitchen. Luke hauled himself into a chair. He barely looked at Percy, far more interested in eating. The message was clear: Luke would eat even if he had to crawl across the floor to get it. 

Once Luke began eating, it was quickly made clear that he was watching Percy. Percy’s coffee cup was on the right side, close to Luke, and when Percy reached for it, Luke let out a low growl under his breath. 

The growl surprised Percy but didn’t stop him from getting his own damn mug. He stared at Luke as he drank it, watched Luke’s hackles go down almost immediately. Percy set the mug down on the left side of his plate, farther away from Luke. Luke did not growl at him again for the rest of the meal and by the end of it, Percy had to deduce that Luke had growled at all because he thought Percy was going to take back the food. 

After breakfast, Luke returned to the couch, crawling on his hands and knees to get there. He pulled himself up and curled tight beneath the blanket. 

Percy gathered the dishes and took them to the sink. He filled one side with warm, soapy water, and began to scrub. It wasn’t that he liked doing dishes but Percy wanted to think and they needed to be done anyway. 

Questions swam in his mind but he had very few answers. Like the typical god, Hermes had sent Percy here with the bare bones information. Percy knew that they were in Colorado. He knew that by following the list of instructions Hermes left, he’d managed to bring Luke back from the dead. Hermes said that this wasn’t a quest and so far Percy _didn’t_ have to kill any monsters and there wasn’t a time limit; whether it counted as a fetch quest or not was debatable and if not then Hermes was skirting that line pretty closely. Percy knew that Luke was alive and that he wasn’t behaving like the confident camp counselor that Percy remembered. Suddenly he wished for Nico, to be able to call the boy to ask if Hazel was like this when he brought her back. Somehow, Percy didn’t think so. 

Percy finished washing the dishes. He found a dish towel hanging from the stove and used it to dry them. When he was done, Percy wandered back into the living room to look at Luke. 

Luke was a lump beneath the blanket, not an inch of him peeking out from beneath it. Maybe he was cold. It was chilly in the house. 

Percy wondered if there was a heater but after another tour of the upstairs and the ground floors, he couldn’t find anything that either looked like a heater or a control panel for a heater. It would be nice to have heat. Hermes wouldn’t have an oversight like that, would he? Even gods liked to be comfortable with climate control. As he stood in the living room again, he noticed something on the floor. It was a grated vent. 

There was one place that Percy hadn’t looked, he realized. Basements were creepy and Percy wasn’t a fan of them but he suspected he couldn’t get out of it. Percy held Riptide in one hand and went into the mud room. He descended the concrete stairs and opened the plain wooden door. 

Darkness. Except, no, there were small windows. Two against the front wall, one against the far side, and two more against the back wall. 

Percy scented the air but it just smelled like stone and cold. He poked his head in, noticed the light switches, and flicked them on. Lights flickered on overhead and showed Percy a single room. 

There was a clothes line strung across the ceiling but no clothes. A washer and dryer. A bed on a wooden platform that looked like it had never been slept in. He saw two huge water tanks and a row of…giant batteries? In the far corner was a wood stove and beside it was a large pile of wood. “Why couldn’t you just have an electric heater, Hermes? You’ve got electric lights and running water,” Percy muttered as he stepped down into the basement. The temperature was significantly colder. The ground was made of squares of gray stone pavers. The walls didn’t have the half log texture from above but looked like plain drywall. 

Percy put some wood into the wood stove and found a book of matches. He struck one and dropped it into the stove, then closed the door. They would have to watch the stove to make sure the fire didn’t go out. Where was Hermes? 

He stood and went back upstairs, closing the door behind him. Percy stood in the mud room, debating what he wanted to do. Finally, his desire to have a look around prompted him to pull on a pair of snow boots, pick out a heavy coat, and head outside. 

The air was crisp and clean. Snow blanketed most scents but Percy could pick out the smell of pine. There didn’t seem to be any monsters around. Percy walked around the house, noted a tiny porch at the back of the house. The porch held a couples swing and a small table. Percy kept walking. So far all he could see was forest in every direction. On the far side of the house was a small greenhouse, attached to one wall and only about four feet wide. A sliding door led inside, so Percy opened it and stepped in. The greenhouse was warmer than being outside but it was empty. Nothing was growing. Another sliding door led to the front of the house, so Percy exited that way and found himself beside the large front porch. 

Percy walked to the mud room and took his boots off. He went in through the door to the kitchen and was pleased to find that it was warmer. Not much, but enough. Percy made his way to the couch where Luke hadn’t moved. “There’s a wood stove in the basement so it should be getting warmer in here.” 

Luke didn’t reply. The blanket rose and fell with his breath so at least he wasn’t dead. Again. 

Percy didn’t want to keep standing awkwardly by the couch but he also didn’t want to sit on the la-z-boy recliner a few feet away. He shifted his weight. It would be nice to get some answers before Hermes arrived to take them home. Or wherever Luke was going to live now. “Luke...do...do you know what happened?” 

For a few moments more, there was silence. Then Luke’s face appeared from beneath the blanket and he sat up. He drew his legs up to his chest and kept his arms tucked in close, still hiding beneath the blanket. “No.” 

“What do you last remember?” 

Luke blanched. He shrunk into himself even more. His face paled down to the color of the mammoth bone skull. 

Percy was stunned by the reaction. He said, “Okay. Well, do you remember dying?” 

Luke made an impatient sound. “I know I’m dead.” He glanced around, eyes fearful. “But this is new.” 

Percy felt the need to sit down. “What do you mean? What happened?” 

Luke fixed his gaze on Percy and cocked his head. His eyes narrowed. “I got to the dock and the lake was red like blood and this time, when I reached for your hand, I caught it. Then I was…” Luke pointed to the table. “Over there. And now I’m here.” Normally, speaking of something was a weight off of the speaker’s shoulders but Luke’s distress visibly grew. 

Percy’s legs decided that they didn’t want to hold him anymore. He collapsed somewhat gracefully onto his butt. “Where did you go after you died?” 

“The fields of punishment,” Luke said as though it should have been obvious. “The judges didn’t have a choice. Hades wouldn’t let me into Elysium and I think he threatened to throw the judges into the fields of punishment if they put me in the fields of Asphodel.” His expression showed annoyance and some grief but no surprise. 

Percy knew that the gods didn’t like Luke, that they had hated him from the moment he was born, but he didn’t think that they would actually deny him a decent afterlife too. He crossed his legs and played with the hem of his jacket, wondering what the gods would do with him when he died. Denying Apollo assistance crossed his mind, as did all of the times that he’d called the gods out on their shit. “Oh,” Percy said awkwardly. “What was it like?” 

Luke hesitated, indecision written across his features, until finally his resolve seemed to harden. “I was nine again, in my childhood bed, and I woke up to two girls screaming. I grabbed a plastic sword and ran out of my bedroom and was in Hal’s house. I ran downstairs and there were Thalia and Annabeth surrounded by hellhounds, screaming for me to help them. The hellhounds waited until I got there to attack, and they ate the girls. I couldn’t get through the throng. My plastic sword broke. Thalia and Annabeth kept screaming for help, even when there was nothing left of them. Then the hellhounds turned on me and chased me all the way to Camp Half-Blood. I ran out onto the dock and looked over into the water and saw you looking back up at me. So I dropped to my stomach and reached for you but before I could grab your hand, the hellhounds caught up to me and ate me. Then I’d wake up again and start the whole thing over.” 

When he was through recounting his story, Luke looked around and shuddered. He pulled the blanket tighter around him. His pupils shrunk to tiny black dots in a sea of blue. 

Luke’s retelling of what he’d gone through for the past two years and four months made Percy absolutely sick to his stomach. Percy had seen some of the punishments that the fields of punishment had to offer and while none were pretty, they also didn’t involve so much psychological terror. Just imagining it made Percy’s system flood with adrenaline that left him shaking. Studying Luke closely, Percy decided that his old friend was handling this much better than Percy himself would have. “Well,” Percy said once he was sure he could speak without stuttering. “I’ve got some good news for you.” 

Luke’s blue gaze snapped back to Percy. He didn’t smile, he didn’t relax any, there was still an unbelievable tension in his body and a wariness in his gaze. 

“You’re alive, Luke.” 

Luke’s reaction to the news was fairly anticlimactic. He stared very hard at Percy. Then he asked, “Why?” in a hard, unfriendly tone. 

Heat rose to Percy’s face. He couldn’t meet Luke’s gaze any longer and dropped his to the carpet. “I don’t know. Your dad sent me here,” Percy gestured to the house. “And told me that I had to follow the list of instructions he left for me. And to be very careful because it was important and I couldn’t make any mistakes. So I did, and then I went to bed, and your...resurrection woke me up.” 

They stared at each other in tense silence. 

“What the fuck,” Luke said, summing it all up very eloquently. Abruptly he slid off the couch and onto the floor in front of Percy, dragging the blanket down with him. He hesitated only a moment before touching Percy’s arm. 

Percy didn’t try to stop Luke. He knew what it was like to get out of hell and want to touch someone who hadn’t been there with you. Softly, as though talking to a wounded animal, Percy said, “I thought your dad would be here to pick us up but he’s a no show so far.” 

Despite himself, Luke let out a snort of amusement. “That tracks. Now I _know_ I’m alive.” He ran his fingers along the scars decorating Percy’s arm, touching lightly and almost tickling. Luke inched closer and closer, until their knees bumped together. His attention was laser focused on touching Percy’s arm, on the contact between them, but he seemed distant from Percy himself. Carefully, as though Percy was the one who would bite, Luke picked up Percy’s hand and examined it. He touched the tiny scars there, wounds too small to waste nectar on. Luke fit his palm against Percy’s palm and a deep frown furrowed his brow. His blue eyes flitted to Percy’s face. “How old are you?” 

“Eighteen,” Percy answered. Luke’s examination of him made Percy feel flayed and spread bare as though just by looking at his hands, Luke could know everything about him. 

“You’ve grown,” Luke murmured. 

Percy slotted his fingers between Luke’s, getting more comfortable. “I’m taller than you,” Percy said, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. He sat up a little straighter. 

Luke noticed and the corner of his mouth twitched like he wanted to smile. His other hand went up to Percy’s hair, two fingers stroking along Percy’s temple where his gray streak used to be. “You lost your gray streak.” 

“So did you,” Percy said. He gently tweaked the spot in Luke’s curls that used to be white. 

Luke looked up as though he’d be able to see the absent white streak. His cheeks colored with a blush that spread out like watercolor on paper. He kept his gaze firmly on the top of Percy’s head, avoiding his eyes. Luke ran his hand along Percy’s hair, around his ear, and down to his neck. His fingers lingered over Percy’s pulse for a moment. It seemed to satisfy him to find it. 

Percy stayed completely still, unsure of what to do. Holding Luke’s hand, having Luke run his fingers through Percy’s hair, it felt nice and Percy didn’t want to break the contact. It had been so long since someone besides Annabeth touched him...and her touches usually hurt. Annabeth liked to pinch, poke, prod, and squeeze whenever she touched him. 

Still avoiding Percy’s eyes, Luke’s gaze shifted to their hands. He looked confused. Then, slowly, he asked, “You aren’t invincible anymore, are you?” 

Percy shook his head. “No,” he said aloud in case Luke missed the gesture. He gave Luke an abridged version of events, catching him up as quickly as possible on what had caused Percy to lose his invincibility. At the end of it, he impulsively moved their joined hands around to the small of his back, pressed Luke’s fingers into the quarter-sized spot that was his Achilles Heel. Impulsively Percy slid their hands up the back of his sweater, shivered at Luke’s cold fingers against his skin. “I know where yours was. This is where mine was.” 

Reaching around to touch the spot brought Luke closer to Percy, their faces were only inches apart. This close, Percy could see that Luke had a light splattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and that Luke’s blue irises were shot through with violet, giving them their unusual vibrancy. 

Percy honestly couldn’t say which of them made the first move, but their lips pressed together in a kiss. His eyelids slid closed as they kissed and Percy let himself get lost in it. There was no tongue or teeth, just simple kissing. Percy cupped Luke’s face with both hands. 

Luke’s other hand joined the one at the small of Percy’s back. He made a gesture like he wanted to pull Percy onto his lap. 

Percy didn’t think as he uncrossed his legs and scooted into Luke’s lap. He recrossed his ankles behind Luke’s back. He had to duck his head to kiss Luke properly and realized with a thrill that he’s never sat in someone’s lap and kissed them before. 

Luke leaned back against the couch. He ran his hands up and down Percy’s back, over muscle and vertebrae. His palms were calloused from so many years of fighting with a sword. 

The way Luke kissed Percy was as though they’d done it a hundred times before, as though this was a familiar rhythm and not something brand new. Percy could admit that it felt right to be pressed close to Luke and kissing him. It was like his blood was replaced with gooey, sugary melted caramel. Percy didn’t question his body’s response to kissing Luke, how his cock filled out and strained against the confines of his pants. 

Luke’s physical arousal surprised Percy; but only for a moment and only because Percy had never been with another man. It was surprising and exciting to feel Luke’s cock hard against his ass. He pulled back, searched Luke’s face to gauge how far Luke wanted to go. 

Luke’s eyes opened. He leaned forward for another kiss. A few more minutes of kissing passed before Luke leaned back. This time it was he who searched Percy’s face. “Do you -?” 

“I want to - ” 

They both broke off. 

“Please,” Luke said. 

“We need - ” Percy started. 

Luke kissed him, heated and forceful. “Check the bathroom.” 

Percy hesitated, kissing Luke hard and pouring all of his longing into the kiss. 

Luke pushed Percy away by his hips. “Go. I’ll be right here.” He paused, doubt appearing on his face. “Unless -” 

He didn’t get to finish that thought because Percy was up in a heartbeat, running for the bathroom. Percy didn’t want to hear the rest of it. He skidded into the door, socks slipping on the hardwood, and scrambled into the bathroom. The first place he checked was the medicine cabinet but there was no lube. The next place was under the sink and Percy had to pause and stare for a moment at the absolutely huge bottle of lube. It was gallon-sized, with a hand pump. The label read _water-based anal lubricant._ Percy narrowed his eyes in suspicion. But he picked up the massive thing and trotted with it into the living room. 

Luke actually laughed when he saw it. “Oh my gods.” 

Percy eyed the bulge Luke’s cock made in his pajama bottoms. “Please tell me that the amount of lube I found is not proportional to how big you are.” 

Luke's shoulders shook with silent laughter. His face was red with it. When he caught his breath he said, “Not at all. I take it you aren’t a size queen?” 

Percy set the gallon of lube down and straddled Luke again. He kissed Luke’s forehead and cheeks, peppering kisses all over. “I don’t know. I’ve never had anal.” 

Luke sobered up. He said, “really?” As though the revelation was the most confusing thing that Percy had unloaded on him so far. Confused, Percy noted, but not put off by it. “Huh.” 

To distract himself, Percy began unbuttoning the front of Luke’s shirt. One button at a time, knuckles dragging along the bits of chest revealed. Percy didn’t ask about the scars. 

Luke pulled Percy’s sweater over his head and ran his hands over Percy’s chest. He murmured “gods look at you” like Percy was a work of art. He pinched Percy’s nipples until they stiffened. 

Twin bolts of pleasure traveled through Percy straight to his dick. He mimicked the action on Luke and drew a moan from the man. Percy pushed the shirt off of Luke and ran his hands over the biceps he’d been admiring since he was twelve. He skimmed his fingertips across Luke’s scarred torso, and hooked his fingers in the waistband of the pajama pants. 

Luke lifted his hips to help Percy pull his pajama pants down. His cock was pretty when it was hard, pressed against his belly and flushed red. Luke reached for the lube, pumped a very generous amount onto one hand. “Can you bottom?” 

Percy nodded. His heart pounded. He never thought that he would get the chance to do this. “What do I do?” 

“Take your pants off and come here,” Luke said. He had the faintest smile on his lips. His eyes never left Percy as Percy did as he asked. Once Percy was naked and in the proper position, Luke pushed one finger against his rim. “Just breathe.” 

Percy nodded again. He focused on breathing, relaxing. The lube was chilled and Luke’s finger touching his rim was strange. But not entirely unpleasant. As Luke rubbed and teased, Percy was beginning to realize that he had quite a lot of nerves there and they liked what was happening. 

Luke pushed a finger into him. He didn’t rush the action but it felt very sudden to Percy. 

Percy gasped. Immediately he clenched down, which only made the burning pleasure more intense and made him feel fuller. He made himself breathe, focused on relaxing. It wasn’t so bad. Weird, yes, but not bad. 

After a few moments, Luke worked his finger in and out of Percy. He moved slow, making sure to never leave Percy’s body. When he did finally pull his finger out completely, it was only to get more lube. Luke’s wrist was shiny with the excess that had dripped down. This time, he eased two fingers into Percy. 

The burn made Percy whimper. It was doubly intense. Glancing down at Luke’s cock between them, he had no idea how he was going to fit that inside of him. But Sally Jackson did not raise a quitter. Percy’s legs shook. His breath came faster. What he needed was a distraction. “W-what do I feel like? Inside, I mean.” 

Luke tilted his head slightly, as though the question surprised him. He considered, both fingers moving slowly inside of Percy. They brushed against something that made Percy cry out in unexpected pleasure. Luke rubbed his fingers against the spot again. “Soft,” he finally answered. “So soft inside and tight. I can’t wait to have you around my cock.” 

Percy moaned and shivered. What Luke was doing with his fingers felt so good that he couldn’t help but roll his hips, rocking back onto Luke’s hand. He decided that he liked having Luke talk dirty to him. 

Luke leaned forward enough to press his lips to Percy’s throat. “And you’re hot, so hot and alive. It feels good.” Luke pulled his fingers out. 

Percy whined with the loss. When he saw that Luke was reapplying the lube, he had to squeeze the base of his cock to keep from coming. This time he bore down on Luke’s fingers, and was somehow surprised that he was now trying to fit three of them inside of Percy. His eyes slid shut as he was stretched more than ever before. 

“We should have got a towel,” Luke observed. He had three fingers inside of Percy, lube dripping from them as he worked them in and out. Three was a stretch and Luke was still bigger than that. “You’re so wet.” 

Percy didn’t know if he could take more in one go. He wanted to try, even though the idea was a little daunting. Sex with girls was easier, he thought, then wondered if Percy would have to prep Luke this much. Frankly, Percy wasn’t sure that Luke had the energy to be much more involved than he was. He wouldn’t be fucking Percy like a wild animal; not today anyway. The idea of fucking Luke made a huge blob of precum form at the slit in his cock. 

Luke noticed, ran his free hand over it and down the shaft of Percy’s cock. His grip was firm and confident. At the same time, he pushed his fingers in as far as they would go. 

Percy trembled and moaned as pleasure wove through him. He didn’t think he could take the fingering much longer and wanted to get on with the main event. “I think I’m ready.” He tried to lift up off of Luke’s fingers. 

But Luke’s hand moved with him, kept his three fingers buried deep in Percy. “Are you?” Luke asked, voice almost a purr. This was closer to the old Luke than Percy had seen yet. He worked his fingers in and out, creating a burning stretch at Percy’s rim. 

It felt good. Percy still tried to wiggle away. He was up on his knees now, towering over Luke, cock rubbing against Luke’s sternum. “Luke, I’m ready. Please stop. I’m going to cum.” Percy didn’t recognize his own voice. 

Luke finally pulled his fingers free. He held Percy’s hips and guided him closer. One hand went to his cock and the other stayed on Percy’s hip, steadying him. 

When Luke penetrated him for the first time, Percy’s breath caught. He held himself rigid with surprise. 

Luke searched Percy’s face. “We can stop.” 

Percy shook his head. He managed an offended look as though the mere suggestion was insulting. He sank down, slowly, feeling Luke’s cock stretch him. It was stupid in hindsight, but he never realized how full being full of cock would make him feel. Percy glanced down, half expecting to see a visible bulge in his abdomen. There was no bulge. 

“If I could offer you some advice?” Luke said. 

Percy nodded consent. 

“It’s actually less overwhelming when you’re moving and the faster you go, the better it feels.” 

“Better for who?” Percy asked. He felt like he didn’t have enough room in his lungs for air. The thing was, Luke wasn’t even really that big. A solid six inches, yeah, but that was fairly standard. Maybe a little on the long side. But he wasn’t pornstar massive like the gallon of lube implied. 

“Both of us,” Luke said honestly. He rubbed his thumbs over Percy’s hips in a soothing manner. 

Percy would take Luke’s word for it. He lifted up, sucked in a huge breath, and eased back down. It took a few times doing this to get in the rhythm of it. This wasn’t the usual position he had sex in and he found that he was working muscles in new ways. But soon he realized that Luke was right; moving made Luke’s cock feel less intrusive and it _did_ feel better as he found his groove. Once he realized this, Percy smiled at Luke. Then he kissed him. 

Luke barely had a chance to smile back before Percy was kissing him. They kissed with every rise and fall Percy made as he rode Luke’s cock. Luke didn’t participate much in the way of thrusting, only occasionally rolled his hips in a short thrust. But he made up for it by running his hands over every single inch of Percy that he could reach. He especially seemed to like Percy’s nipples, pinching and rubbing them until they were aching and red. 

Percy liked the attention to his nipples. It felt so good to be touched there. He bounced on Luke’s cock, enjoying the friction and the way pleasure shot up his spine like a rocket whenever he got the angle right. The head of his cock rubbed against Luke’s stomach. 

It occurred to him that it was odd Luke growled at him earlier but was willing to have sex. Then again, so far Percy was fulfilling all of Luke’s basic needs. Maybe this was just another one. That thought made him sad...until he decided that even if this was just a one time thing with Luke, he would be happy with what he could get. 

“Percy,” Luke said after a few minutes of this. “I’m going to cum. So if you don’t want me to do it inside of you…” 

Percy’s whole body tingled at the idea. He felt on top of the world; and in a way he was. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.” 

Luke moaned, a soft and broken sound. He shivered and tensed. 

Percy felt Luke’s cock twitch inside of him and then the heat of his cum. Warmth rushed to Percy’s face. He wrapped a hand around his cock and striped his cock. He rocked, small movements on Luke’s cock while it was still hard. His pleasure built and crested and he came onto his hand. 

Luke watched him, pupils blown wide and tongue coming out to lick his lips. He moaned low in his throat as Percy milked every last drop from him. 

Percy’s legs trembled. He wiped his hand on his discarded shirt. 

After they caught their breath and the sweat had cooled on Percy’s skin, Luke yawned so hugely that his eyes watered. He said, “I didn’t sleep last night and today has been...surprising.” Luke bit his lip. “I just want you to know that I’m going to pass out in the next few minutes.” 

“Oh,” Percy said. He was tired too, had barely slept last night and everything with Luke had come as a surprise. “Do you want to go upstairs? There’s a bed.” 

Luke glanced at the stairs then shook his head. “I’m fine on the floor,” he said, leaning to one side like he was halfway asleep already. 

Percy considered the merits of going to bed alone versus sleeping on the floor with Luke. He plucked the decorative pillows from the couch and put them side by side. Then he pulled Luke’s blanket down and over them. The fire was probably going to go out soon but Percy wanted to sleep more than he cared about the heat. It was fine last night. 

Luke smiled, yawned, and rubbed his eyes. Then he laid his head down on one pillow and gave Percy an expectant look. 

Percy laid down beside Luke, fit into the curve of his body. No one had ever been the big spoon for him either and this felt good in a similar but subtly different way than sitting on Luke’s lap had. He suspected that you didn’t cuddle one night stands and that maybe this was going to be a repeat experience.  
  
  
  


After a nap, Percy extracted himself from Luke’s arms. He took a moment to kiss Luke’s temple and brush his hair behind his ear. Then he got up and got dressed. Percy went downstairs to add more wood to the fire so that it warmed the house. As he stood in the basement, he considered where a thief would hide their golden drachmas. He wound up walking on each and every paver until he found one that was loose. Percy found a crowbar and pried the paver up. Below it was a small hidey hole with a leather bag in it. The bag clinked when Percy picked it up. 

When he looked inside, there were glittering golden drachmas. He took three and put everything back exactly how it had been before. Upstairs, he put his boots and coat on. Then he went outside and walked around the house until he came to the little greenhouse. While the greenhouse didn’t have plants in it, it did have a hose. Percy turned it on and angled the spray so that it created tiny rainbows. “Annabeth Chase,” he requested of Iris and flipped his coin into the spray. 

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!” Annabeth screamed at him the moment she noticed Percy. “How dare you leave me!? No one is more important than me, do you understand that? You’ll never have anyone better than me in your life so you’d better stop sucking up and leaving without my permission. Where are you? You’d better get your butt home right now.” 

Percy waited in silence until she took a breath. He took his opening when he saw it. “I’m not coming back to California,” he said. “And I’m breaking up with you. I only wanted to go to New Rome because it was safe for demigods and I thought that we could have a future there together. But you’re making me take classes for a profession I don’t want to be in, you won’t let me go home to see my family, and you’re a lousy person to be around when we aren’t about to die. I found someone else. It’s over, Annabeth.” 

Annabeth’s face turned steadily redder and redder. Her face twisted into an expression so awful it would have looked at home on Thalia’s shield. She opened her mouth. 

“Goodbye, Annabeth,” Percy said and hung up before she could get another word in. He sent a silent prayer up to Iris asking her to block Annabeth’s calls from now on. There was no telling if the goddess would listen, but he thought that she liked him and would do this for him. Next, Percy called Hermes. 

“I hope you’re calling because everything went well,” Hermes said when he answered the message. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief and knowing. He didn’t need an answer. 

“Luke is back. He’s a little…” Percy paused, considering his words carefully, “off kilter. I think it’s because he was dead and in the Fields of Punishment. But we’re taking care of all his needs and I think he’ll be okay.” 

The look that Hermes gave Percy was one of knowing amusement. “I’m sure that you’re making sure absolutely all of Luke’s needs are met,” Hermes agreed. He sobered a little. “I heard that you no longer have a place to live.” 

There was no use in denying it. While Percy could go back to New York and live with his family, or attend Camp Half-Blood, he wanted to branch out and see what it was like to be his own person. He needed the room to stretch his wings and decide what he wanted out of life without the influence of his family and Camp. Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “News travels fast, huh? Yeah. I’m out of a place. I’ll, I dunno, get a part time job somewhere and save up for an apartment for us.” 

“Us?” Hermes asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked uncannily like Luke. 

Percy’s face warmed. “Well, I haven’t asked him, but I kind of thought that Luke and I would...spend some time together. You know, until he’s back on his feet. Maybe longer, if he wants.” 

Hermes tapped his chin with a finger. “Well, in that case, I suppose I could allow you to use my house for a while longer. Until you can afford your own residence. There’s a town nearby. About ten miles away. The car keys are in the cookie jar on the counter.” 

Percy blinked, surprised. “Uh, thank you. But, uh, where is your car again?” 

“In the garage, Percy,” Hermes said. He had a smirk on his face like this was a joke. “You must have missed it.” 

Percy was confused but he didn’t argue. He shuffled nervously and took a few deep breaths. His heart pounded fast. “Are you okay with me and Luke in a relationship? And are you going to smite me if we break up?” 

“I think you have to be dating to break up,” Hermes said mildly. The look he gave Percy was one of sympathy. “No, Percy, I’m not going to smite you if you and Luke go your separate ways. I’m aware that you still have things to work out and that it won’t be easy but you have my blessing to romance my son. Please be gentle with his heart.” Hermes’ expression turned thoughtful. “I doubt your father would say the same to Luke about being gentle with your heart, so I’ll have to say it for him.” 

Percy’s face became even hotter. He didn’t want Hermes giving either of them the shovel talk or getting Poseidon involved. “Um, thank you. For everything. I should be going. I’ve got one more call to make and then I’d better go in and make sure Luke is alright.” 

“Goodbye, Percy. Take care of my son and yourself,” Hermes said and then ended the call. 

The last person that Percy called was his mother. She was at home, sitting on her computer and typing up an essay. For a few moments, Percy just watched her. Then he cleared his throat. “Hi, mom.” 

Sally jumped with surprise. She twisted in her chair and when she saw Percy, a wide smile broke out across her face. “Percy! It’s good to hear from you. How are you? Did Annabeth change her mind about Christmas?” 

“I’m good, mom. I, uh, actually broke up with Annabeth recently and I’m seeing someone else.” Percy ducked his head. “It’s, um, he’s a boy.” 

A flicker of surprise crossed Sally’s face. They had never talked about Percy’s sexuality. But Sally was a good parent. Her smile was warm. “Well, are you going to bring him home for Christmas?” 

Percy nodded. Maybe it was presumptuous to say that Luke was going to their house for Christmas but Percy couldn’t imagine leaving him alone for the two weeks it would take to get there, visit, and come back. He had a suspicion Luke wouldn’t want to be left alone in his father’s house for that long. “Yeah. We’ll see you on the twenty-first and stay through Christmas, if that’s alright?” 

“That sounds lovely, Percy. I can’t wait to meet him,” Sally said. 

A weight lifted from Percy’s chest. He smiled. “Alright. Well I’ve got to go, just wanted to let you know that we would make it up there this year. I love you, mom.” 

“I love you too, Percy,” Sally said. 

Percy ended the call and left the greenhouse. When he reached the porch, he stopped in his tracks. About twenty feet from the house was a large garage that looked like it would hold three cars. That had definitely not been there before. Unless Hermes was hiding it from him before. That seemed likely. Percy decided to save exploring for later. He went back inside. 

Luke was awake and sitting up. The worry lines on his face vanished when he saw Percy. “Hey.” With one word, Luke somehow managed to convey everything that he’d been thinking. 

“Hey.” Percy sat on the floor beside Luke. He held out his hand, palm up, in offering. 

Luke put his palm in Percy’s and laced their fingers together. The last of the worry left his body. 

“I went outside to call some people,” Percy began. In an instant, he decided not to bring up Annabeth. They could talk about her later. “I talked to your dad. He said that we can live here until we can afford our own place. Or places. Do you want to live with me?” 

Luke studied Percy’s face for a long few moments. Slowly, he nodded. “I’d like that.” He leaned over and brushed his lips against Percy’s cheek. 

Percy sighed with relief. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted Luke to say yes until he did. “Okay. And I talked to my mom. I told her that I was, um, bringing someone special home for Christmas. I hope you don’t mind. Will you come home with me for Christmas in a few weeks? We’ll have to drive because Zues would strike me out of the sky but…I mean. You don’t have to.” 

Again, Luke nodded. His cheeks colored with a blush and he offered Percy a surprisingly shy smile considering that they were just fucking on this a few hours ago. “So I’m someone special?” The insecurity in his voice was painfully obvious. 

Percy didn’t draw attention to it. He flashed his own shy smile at Luke. “You’ve always been special to me. This is just...a new special. A better special. That sounded really stupid.” He closed his eyes, took a centering breath. “I always wondered if we could be more. But war got in the way and you died so I never got the chance to find out. Until now. I want to find out how good we can be together.” 

“Was war and death all that was keeping us apart? Here I thought it was because you were twelve.” Luke said, a small smile on his face. He leaned against Percy and sighed. “I want to find out how good we can be together too.” 

Percy couldn’t help but smile. His future suddenly didn’t seem so dark and bleak.

**Author's Note:**

> This was another one that was going to be really long and Percy was going to help Luke become a person again and Luke would find out about Annabeth and boy, Annabeth's reaction to Percy cheating on her was going to be gold (and cold), but in the end, I decided to make it a one shot and leave their future up to readers. 
> 
> Also, for once I didn't make Percy work for that dick. lol


End file.
